HB4150 amends Michigan’s Revised School Code to eliminate fees charged by the Department of Education for evaluating and processing applications for teacher and related school personnel certificates, licenses, approvals, endorsements, authorizations, and permits. The bill covers both initial applications and renewals or reinstatements for the listed credentials, including teaching certificates, school counselor licenses, school administrator certificates, school psychologist certificates, substitute permits, and other education-related authorizations.
The bill also preserves and references the state’s teacher certification database system requirements, which include online renewal, online payment capability, faster processing, a central registry of professional development, and improved reporting and quality control. Under the amended language, the department would no longer collect the application-evaluation fees listed in section 1538 and would instead cover those costs itself, rather than funding the system through fee increases tied to the certification process.
Impact
The bill directly amends MCL 380.1531h and 380.1538 in the Revised School Code. Its practical effect is to remove state-imposed certification application and renewal fees for educators and other school professionals, shifting the cost burden from applicants to the Department of Education. It also changes the funding structure for the teacher certification database system by eliminating the fee revenue source that previously supported it, requiring the department to absorb those costs from other resources.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests generally favorable sentiment toward the bill, with the House committee reporting it out 7-0 without amendment and the full House passing it 83-26 with immediate effect. That pattern indicates broad support for reducing or eliminating certification-related fees, though not unanimous support. No committee transcript is available, so the record does not show detailed debate or stakeholder testimony.
Contention
The main point of contention appears to be fiscal rather than policy-based: the bill removes fees that previously funded certification processing and the teacher certification database system, which raises questions about how the department will cover those administrative and technology costs. Supporters likely view the measure as reducing barriers and out-of-pocket costs for educators, while opponents may be concerned about lost revenue, administrative sustainability, or whether the state should subsidize these functions from general funds. The roll-call vote shows some opposition in the House, but the committee vote was unanimous.